Star Dates
by indiegal
Summary: Katrina tries to get Gabriel to sign up for the dating app she uses at the Academy and confusion ensues. Rating for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A tray slammed down in front of Kat, jerking her attention away from the PADD she had been reading and onto the cadet sliding into the seat opposite her at the small table in the cafeteria of Starfleet Academy. Gabriel Lorca, one of Starfleet's brightest and Kat's best friend, had just arrived, as usual with all the subtlety of a photon torpedo. She raised an eyebrow at the sour expression marring the usually chipper man's face as he started attacking his goulash.

'The date went well then?' she ventured, laughing at the glower she received in return. 'I did warn you..'

'If you say I told you so one more time I swear to god Katrina I will run you through with this spoon,' Gabriel growled, waving the implement in what was presumably supposed to be a threatening manner.

'Alright, alright!' Kat raised her hands in surrender. 'What was so disastrous about it then?'

'She didn't say anything!' Gabriel huffed in exasperation. 'She just sat there simpering and giggling every time I asked her a question!' Katrina winced in sympathy. 'That's it, right there. No more dates.'

'You should sign up for that dating app I was telling you about,' Katrina said, waving her PADD at him. 'It's just for Starfleet students, so everyone on there can at least string a sentence together, and it's all anonymous so you won't get people trying to suck up to you because of your reputation.'

'Have you met anyone decent on there?' Gabriel sounded less dismissive than usual; the previous night must really have been a disaster.

'Not for long term prospects,' Kat replied, a mischievous twinkle in her eye, 'But I have had some pretty good nights out of it. Sometimes even mornings afterwards too,' she added with a wink.

'You are shameless,' Gabriel stated. Kat scoffed.

'As if that's not what you're after too,' she countered. Gabriel sat back, an expression of hurt on his face.

'You wound me, Kat,' he said, hand clutching his chest. 'I'm on a quest to find true love.' She rolled her eyes.

'I really will wound you if you make us any more late for class,' she said, effectively ending the conversation as Gabriel shovelled the rest of his lunch into his mouth before they legged it to their lecture.

Later that night, needing a break from the constant studying, Katrina picked up her PADD and logged in to her StarDates account. Although the name was cheesy, the app was actually pretty good for matching her with people that she'd been able to have a conversation with, not to mention some extremely good sex. The program had a basic format, with no pictures and just a section to write something about yourself and something about what you look for in a partner. She scrolled through a few profiles before stopping at one that caught her eye.

 _I'm a tall, handsome man with blue eyes and rugged good looks (the height and blue eyes are factual, the rest is subjective but I trust my own opinion implicitly). I like adventure, excitement, trying new things and conquering them._

 _I'd like to meet someone who can hold their own in a conversation; who won't back down from their opinion but will fight for what they believe. A similar attitude towards sex would be good._

Katrina laughed and added the guy to her possibles list. He obviously had confidence bordering on arrogance, a trait she knew she ought to abhor but found annoyingly attractive, especially when she wasn't looking for anything long term. A few minutes more didn't reveal any other potentials and she put her PADD aside, returning her attention to her xenobiology notes.

She was just finishing up and considering getting ready for bed when her PADD chimed to let her know she had a new message. Checking it, she saw that the man whose profile she had marked earlier had matched with her and had sent her a message.

 _You must be even more intelligent than your profile implies if you've marked me as worth a second glance_.

Katrina laughed incredulously; this was by far the most intriguing first contact she'd had from anyone so far. The psychologist in her enjoyed trying to analyse people using just the words they chose. The blatant cockiness this man was displaying had to be covering something and she itched to find out what it was. She waited a few minutes before replying; it wouldn't do to encourage him too much.

 _And you must be even more arrogant than your profile implies._

 _Where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation._

He had replied quickly, too fast for him to have looked up the quote, which meant that he must be able to parrot classical literature on cue. That was an unusual skill for a Starfleet cadet, as most of them were far more science-minded, and she found herself being drawn in.

 _I'm impressed, and reluctantly concede that you might have a point. It's nice to meet someone who reads something other than their lecture notes._

 _Hang on, you take notes? I'm not sure I can associate with you after all._

 _I suppose your superior mind retains all the information without needing to write anything down like us mere mortals._

 _Sometimes. But I prefer to outsource my notes when I need them._

 _Oh I see, you're one of those people who prefer to let others do all the work and then take all the credit. Let me guess; you're on the command track?_

 _There's nothing wrong with using the skills of those around you to make for better results, in fact I believe Starfleet encourages it._

 _Commanding a bridge crew is one thing, copying other people's notes is another._

 _I sense disapproval. You must be a scientist._

 _Medical, actually._

 _That's much better. Medics are generally more grounded than scientists and strong in all the right ways._

 _Thank you, I think?_

 _You're welcome._

There was a pause here, as if neither of them quite knew where to go next. Katrina glanced at the chronometer and realised it was far later than she had thought; she had to be up in just a few hours.

 _I'd better go_ , she sent. _I've got a really full on day tomorrow so I'd better get to bed. I've enjoyed chatting though._

She got up to use the bathroom, and when she returned she found one more message waiting for her.

 _Me too. Sweet dreams_.

* * *

Katrina didn't get another chance to log on for the next two days; she was too busy rushing between classes, working extended shifts at the hospital and trying to find time to eat and sleep in between to bother checking her messages. When she did eventually look, after collapsing onto her bunk after a spatial mathematics class, she found several messages waiting for her. She scanned them quickly, dismissing most of them until she found one from Blue Eyes.

 _How's your full on day been?_

It had been sent the evening after their chat, and she felt a pang of regret for not checking sooner. She tapped out a reply quickly.

 _It's ended up being more than a day! Sorry, I haven't been ignoring you, I just haven't stopped since we chatted – medics who take notes work much harder than command students who don't._

She thought the mild insult would appeal to him more than a proper apology and prick him into responding. Sure enough, she didn't have to wait long before her PADD chimed.

 _Fighting talk. I'll have you know it takes a lot of effort to do things as effortlessly as I do_.

Katrina laughed, and settled down to reply. When she next checked the time, she realised more than an hour had passed and she had fifteen minutes until she was supposed to meet Gabriel for drinks in a bar ten minutes away.

 _Crap I'm so sorry I've got to go! I promise to check my messages more often though. Talk to you soon x_

 _No worries. Have fun x_


	2. Chapter 2

The next week passed quickly and uneventfully. Kat found herself checking her StarDates messages much more often, and almost always spent an hour or so in the evening chatting when Blue Eyes was online at the same time. Their conversations were about anything and everything, though they agreed early on not to disclose identities in order to get to know each other without preconceptions (StarDates generated a random number code for each member to avoid people recognising usernames). Katrina found they had similar attitudes towards conversations and they switched from heated debates to light-hearted flirting and banter without missing a beat. They had been chatting for few days when Blue Eyes threw her a curveball in the middle of a debate about obeying the traditions of alien cultures.

 _You never back down, do you? Is this what you're like in bed? Because if you're a dominatrix I might have to gently wriggle out now.._

 _I'm not a dominatrix. But if you expected me to be the type to lie back and think of England you haven't been paying attention._

 _Mmmm. I bet you'd ride me really slowly and drive me crazy, wouldn't you. You'd enjoy breaking me._

 _I hadn't thought of it to be honest, but now that you mention it.._

 _You haven't thought about fucking me? I don't believe you._

 _I didn't say that, I just hadn't pictured that particular scenario. I'll put it on my to do list ;-)_

 _I'm intrigued now. What else is on there?_

 _Haha I'm not telling. A girl's gotta have some secrets after all._

 _Oh, I'll get them out of you. After you've had my tongue on you for an hour you'll be spilling anything I want you to._

 _If I can still talk after you've had your tongue on me for an hour you're obviously doing it wrong._

 _Harsh! Challenge accepted! Put 'losing control as I take you apart with my mouth until you're begging for release' on your to do list as well._

Katrina found herself getting wet, and wriggled in her seat to try to alleviate the sensation as she considered her reply. It wasn't the first time she'd talked dirty to someone over chat but it was a refreshing change to talk to someone who was thinking about her pleasure as well rather than just what she could do for him, and he rose another notch in her estimation. She obviously waited too long, however, as before she could respond another message pinged through.

 _No reply? Have I distracted you so much your hands are busy with something else now?_

 _Haha you wish. But you do paint a very good picture with words – let's hope the talent extends to other areas._

 _Oh it does. But my roommate has just got back so I need to go and deal with my hard on in private now if you'll excuse me._

 _Charming._

 _You know me. Speak soon xx_

 _Xx_

* * *

After that their conversations generally included some kind of dirty talk, usually instigated by him but both of them gave as good as they got and Katrina found herself eagerly anticipating the real thing. Neither of them had suggested meeting up, both seemingly unwilling to break the spell of the anonymity just yet. She was enjoying their conversations so much she was almost sorry when a prior engagement meant she had to miss an evening's chat, though she told herself it would be good for her to spend an evening with 'real' people. She sent Blue Eyes a quick message at lunch time saying she'd be unable to chat that night, then when classes finished she returned home quickly to get ready for the evening. She met Gabriel at his dorm then crossed campus to meet up with the rest of the group.

Kat was pleased she hadn't stayed in as she had a good time with everyone, making the most of the last few weeks before they had to really start cramming for finals. There had been some light hearted mockery of Gabriel after he was forced to share the story of his latest sham of a date, and someone else in the group had also suggested he sign up to StarDates. Gabriel made a non-commital noise and tried to change the subject. Katrina considered sharing the story of the man she was chatting to at the moment to encourage him but something held her back. After a moment of self analysis, she realised she was enjoying having something all to herself and wanted to keep it a secret a little longer. She was also realising that this one was rapidly turning into more than just a quick hookup, but filed that thought away again to investigate at a later date. Satisfied with her conclusions, she turned her attention back to the group and was unsurprised to find it had moved on, to a discussion about who wanted which posts when they graduated. Her time out hadn't gone unnoticed, however; Gabriel was watching her with something like concern.

'You ok?' he muttered under his breath.

'I'm fine,' Kat reassured him with a smile. 'Just got lost for a minute.'

'Come back to me, Kat,' he called, miming reeling her in as he did so. She laughed and swatted at him before they rejoined the group conversation.

As the evening went on, the party split off into smaller groups and Katrina eventually found herself sitting by herself, watching as Gabriel danced with two girls from their xenobiology group. They were both obviously vying for his attention, but he seemed to be avoiding showing any preference to either. She chuckled to herself; the fallout of his date from the other week seemed to be going on even longer than usual. She was startled out of her reverie by someone sliding onto the stool next to her, and she jumped. The newcomer smiled.

'Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Alan. I wondered if you'd like to dance.' He had red hair and a nice smile, with a muscular frame not quite hidden under his white shirt. She smiled in response.

'I'm really sorry, I was just about to leave actually.' His smile faltered and his eyes flickered to the dancefloor where Gabriel was still gyrating with the girls.

'Oh, is he your boyfriend? I didn't realise.' Kat laughed.

'No! No, definitely not. I really was just about to head home, I'm a medic and I've been working extra shifts – it's nothing personal.' Alan smiled again.

'Fair enough. Maybe next time.'

'Maybe,' she grinned apologetically as she slipped down from her stool. She caught Gabriel's eye and waved at him as she left, but to her surprise he caught her up before she'd even gone a block.

'Hey, Kat, wait!' She stopped for him to catch up, raising her eyebrows when he reached her.

'I didn't expect you to be leaving so soon. I thought you'd be going home with at least one of those two.'

'Nah, not really my type,' he muttered, shrugging, and Katrina's eyebrows rose even higher. Up until now, Gabriel's type could have been defined as 'alive'. 'What about you? I thought you were in with Ginger.' Katrina shrugged in turn.

'Just didn't fancy it.' Gabriel chuckled and she turned to him. 'What?'

'Look at us,' he scoffed. 'Are we getting old or what? Turning down offers from attractive people for an early night.' Kat laughed as well and they walked in silence for a bit.

'I'm not as tired as I thought I was. Want to come in and watch a movie?' Kat asked as they reached her dorm.

'Sure,' Gabriel agreed, and they climbed the stairs to the second floor together. The room was empty when they let themselves in, so Kat switched on the lights and cleared her notes off her bed. 'Where's your roommate?' he asked as he took his jacket and boots off.

'I think she's at her boyfriend's this weekend. She's not around much anymore, it's almost like having a room of my own. What do you want to watch?' They squeezed side by side into Kat's bed, propped up against the pillows with the blankets pulled up over them and scrolled through the options. They picked something light, a comedy that they didn't have to concentrate on too much and settled down to watch. A few minutes into the intro, Gabriel spoke up.

'Kat?'

'Yeah?'

'I think I might be dating someone.' Only the fact that he sounded so hesitant stopped Katrina from laughing at the wording, but for Gabriel to sound unsure meant he was really nervous and laughter would make him clam up completely.

'You think?'

'Yeah. I signed up for that StarDates app like you told me to, and I've met someone on there. I didn't mean to get into anything serious, but I can't stop thinking about her. I really like her, Kat, and I don't know what to do.' Katrina found his hand under the covers and squeezed it, ignoring the flare of something that might have been jealousy in the pit of her stomach.

'Have you told her?'

'I think she knows. We talk a lot. But I haven't said anything explicit.' Gabriel snickered suddenly, sounding much more like his usual sense. 'Actually, I've said a lot that's explicit, and so has she. She can talk dirty even better than I can.' Katrina bit her lip; apparently she wasn't the only one who used the app for slightly smuttier purposes than she suspected it had been created for. She wrenched her mind back before it could wander down that path – she did _not_ want to be reliving last night's conversation with Blue Eyes with Gabriel in her bed. 'I just don't know if it's real or not. How can it be when I don't even know her name?'

'If it helps, I've been there too. It's hard to work out what you really feel for someone when you don't know what they look like or what to call them. All I can suggest is keep talking and when it feels right, ask if she wants to meet up.' Gabriel squeezed her hand.

'Thanks Kat. I knew I could count on you. You won't tell anyone else, right?' Katrina grinned, safe in the knowledge that he couldn't see her. Gabriel definitely had a soft side, but he kept it so well hidden that hardly anyone knew.

'Of course not.' She pressed a kiss to the top of his head and he snuggled in. Kat firmly squashed down the feeling in her tummy that had flared up again and turned her attention back to the movie.


	3. Chapter 3

Katrina tried hard to ignore the weird feelings that kept popping up about Gabriel over the next few days. She had always been aware of an undercurrent of something running through their friendship but now was an extremely inconvenient time for it to be raising its head, given how well things were going with Blue Eyes and the fact he now had someone too. She couldn't be sure but she thought Gabriel felt it too; when they had woken up in each other's arms the morning after his admission he hadn't stayed for breakfast and she'd barely seen him since. Waking up in each other's arms wasn't that unusual for them, Gabriel not accepting free food however was and it had Kat worried. She resolved to seek him out as soon as her schedule gave her a chance and to work extra hard at squashing any unwanted feelings.

Her relationship (if it could be called such) with Blue Eyes, however, was thriving. They were spending longer and longer chatting each night, with conversations ranging from lively discussions about the weather, their studies and everything in between. There had also been some quite steamy sessions that had left Katrina extremely glad of her roommate's frequent absences. Blue Eyes had a gift for detail and his vivid descriptions of what he wanted to do to every part of her anatomy had her on the verge of just giving him her address and begging him to come over and fuck her right then. She managed to hold back, however, knowing inside that this was about more than just sex and they needed to meet properly first before jumping into bed. However, knowing that intellectually didn't mean she didn't end up aching and wet for him after almost every conversation, wishing it was his hands on her instead of hers.

The first few times this happened she kept it quiet, but after almost a week in a row of being seriously turned on after every conversation and struggling to wait until they had signed off, she took the plunge and issued him a challenge.

 _You're touching yourself right now aren't you? Tell me what you're doing._

 _Ok, yes, I am. I can't help it, you've got me too turned on!_

 _I'm not complaining. I want to know what you're doing. Describe it in detail so I can imagine it while I touch myself._

 _Oh fuck. That image was a bit too much for me.._

 _Oh dear, do we need to work on your stamina?_

 _Harsh. Just for that I'm going to leave you wondering._

 _No, I'm sorry, please tell me, I really need to come._

 _Fuck you're getting me hard again already. Ok, since you asked so nicely ;-)_

 _I was rubbing my hand up and down my cock, thinking about how good it would feel to ease it slowly inside you, then wait a moment before I started to move. I'd go slowly at first, then build up speed until I'm fucking you hard and fast and we're both crying out with how good it feels._

Kat came hard, the imagery pushing her over the edge. She typed out her reply as she got her breath back, feeling slightly more satisfied than after her completely solo escapades.

 _God yes. Fuck. Thank you, I really needed that._

 _Better?_

 _Cheeky fucker. Wait until you do it to me in person before you get cocky._

 _Actually, I've been thinking about that._

 _Oh?_

 _I think we should meet up._

Kat froze, nerves churning in her stomach. She knew they couldn't carry on like this forever but meeting up would change things. She considered her reply carefully, knowing that if she waited too long he would start to worry.

 _I think you're right. But it's kind of scary, right?_

 _Absolutely. I'm mildly terrified and that's not something I admit to often. But I think we've got something really good going here and it could be something even better._

 _I agree. It's a lot to think about though. Can we sleep on it and chat again tomorrow when my brain isn't fried from you making me come without even touching me?_

 _Haha sure. Sweet dreams xxx_

 _Night xxx_

* * *

Katrina slept surprisingly well that night, considering the flutters her brain and stomach had been doing in response to Blue Eyes' suggestion. When she woke up in the morning, it was as if her mind had been working on the idea while she was sleeping and she found herself getting more and more convinced by the idea as she showered and got ready for the day. It was the natural next step and with term rapidly slipping past, what was the point in waiting? She barely noticed what she was doing that day and logged on that evening with a giddy sense of anticipation. The first thing she found, however, was a message from Blue Eyes, sent at lunchtime.

 _I'm sorry if I pushed you last night. We can wait if you're not ready._

He wasn't online yet so she took a minute to compose her reply, making sure she worded it just right.

 _That wasn't it at all, I just wasn't functioning at full mental capacity after all those images you threw at me. I'd love to meet up; I think you're right, we've got such a good rapport online it'd be silly to delay meeting any longer. Let me know what you think and we can get something sorted._

She pressed send and a couple of minutes later the program showed him as online. She waited to give him a chance to read the message.

 _Hi_

 _Hi_

 _I didn't scare you off last night then._

Kat sensed relief in his tone.

 _Not at all. I just needed to think about it when my brain had switched back on again. You can't throw big questions at me out of the blue like that!_

 _Haha sorry._

 _You can make it up to me when we meet up ;-)_

 _Oh I plan to. You're up for it then?_

 _Definitely. What did you have in mind?_

 _How about dinner? There's a little place called Carlito's down by the bay that does good food and is nice and cosy._

 _I know it. Good choice. When's good for you?_

 _Tomorrow, 19.00?_

The butterflies in Kat's stomach were back; that was very soon.

 _Yep, that works for me. Ok, here's the big question – how will I know it's you?_

 _I'll be the best looking guy in there ;-) also I'll be wearing a dark blue button down shirt. How about you?_

Kat racked her brains for an appropriate date outfit she could describe to him.

 _I probably won't be the best looking girl in there. But I'll wear a black dress with lacy bits round the top._

 _I'm nervous._

Kat could tell, even over the chat, how much that admission cost him, but it only fortified her opinion that meeting up was the right thing to do.

 _Me too. But if we can admit that to each other then we're obviously in deep enough that meeting up is the right step._

 _What are you, a psychologist?_

Katrina laughed to herself. He'd find out soon enough.

 _Haha you'll find out when you meet me. I'm going to get an early night though if we're out tomorrow. Really looking forward to it xxx_

 _Me too. See you tomorrow xxx_


	4. Chapter 4

Katrina arrived at the café just after 19.00 and scanned the room for her date. There was only one man sitting alone, at a booth in the far corner, with a red flower in a vase on the table in front of him. He was wearing a blue shirt as he'd said he would and was, as his profile said, tall and handsome, with startling blue eyes. She grinned, then made her way over and dropped into the booth opposite him. Gabriel looked up at her, and for a moment his face showed confusion.

'Kat? What're you doing here?' He noticed her black lacy dress and realisation dawned. 'Oh!'

'Of course it was you,' Kat said, shaking her head. 'Who else would we connect with so well when we don't have any other proper friends on campus?' Gabriel tilted his head in acknowledgment.

'You're right. How did we not spot this? It explains so much! And here I thought we were supposed to be intelligent!' Katrina laughed, and then a slightly awkward silence fell.

'So, what do we do now?' Their eyes met, and Gabriel smiled, a glint in his eye. Katrina felt a jolt of something in her lower stomach.

'Do you need a diagram?' he drawled. Katrina's stomach flipped again, but something held her back and she bit her lip. Gabriel saw her hesitation and turned serious again. 'You said it yourself Kat, we're in too deep to back out now. What we had online was great, and what we have as friends is even better. Just think what it'll be like if we put it all together.' He reached across the table for her hand, and suddenly it _was_ all together. He was her best friend, the person she'd trust with her life, who knew all her deepest darkest secrets, and he was the man she'd talked to for hours online, who knew how to take her apart without even touching her. The possibilities starting opening up before her and she didn't want to waste another second.

'Let's get out of here,' she said, suddenly breathless, getting to her feet and tugging him with her. She could see her lust mirrored in his eyes and it was both enticingly strange and achingly familiar. 'Your place or mine?'

'Yours is closer,' was his reply. She nodded agreement and they left the café to walk the short distance to her dorm. 'At least now I can explain my behaviour over this week more easily,' Gabriel observed as they walked.

'So you were avoiding me!' Kat exclaimed, both irritated and intrigued. 'Why?'

'Because I realised I felt something more than friendship for you. It seemed like the worst possible timing, having known you for years and realising what I'd been missing, just when I'd found someone else too. I figured I'd meet you and work out if what I had with you would work in the real world and not just online, before I had to explain it all to you.' Gabriel's brow furrowed as the logistics of his plan got lost in pronouns. Katrina laughed.

'I understand. I think.' They had reached her dorm, and some of the tension that had abated as they walked was back as Katrina let them in. Gabriel stood close behind her as she entered her code and she could feel his body heat and his breath on her neck. She dropped her bag as she entered and turned to face him.

'You were wrong, you know,' he said conversationally as he approached. 'You were the best looking girl in there. You always have been.'

And then he was on her, his lips against hers and his hands on her waist, pulling her towards him. Their bodies pressed together and Katrina could feel the muscles under his shirt hard against her. She tugged it out of his trousers and he pulled back to pull it over his head. She did the same with her dress, dropping it on the floor and pressing back against him. He guided them to the bed, shucking off his trousers as he crawled on top of her and began coating her in kisses. He reached one hand behind her and popped her bra open, making her raise an eyebrow.

'Do I want to know where you learnt that trick?' He lifted his head briefly, grinning.

'Nope,' he replied, before he lowered his mouth to her breasts. She moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist before remembering they were both still wearing underwear.

'Gabriel,' she whined, appalled at the needy note in her voice, 'Too many clothes!' He chuckled and brought his hands to her waist, pulling her knickers off when she lifted her hips. He followed with his own before moving to cover her again. She reached down and grasped him, making him groan at the contact.

'Kat,' he ground out, 'Don't, or I'm not going to last.'

'I don't want you to, not this time! I've waited long enough; just fuck me already!' He laughed low under his breath but lined himself up, inhaling sharply as he pushed himself into her tight wetness.

'God, Kat, you feel so good,' he muttered, setting a pace that was far too slow for Katrina's liking.

'I swear Gabriel, if you don't go faster I'm going to flip you onto your back and do it myself!'

'So bossy,' Gabriel responded with a grumble, but sped up his thrusts all the same.

'Oh fuck yes!' Kat cried as he hit an angle and sent tingles running all over her. 'Do that again!'

'What, this?' Gabriel grinned facetiously, snapping his hips forwards to hit the same spot again.

'Yes!'

'Ok,' he responded with a smirk, settling into a position that hit her sweet spot every time. Katrina was rapidly losing control, clutching at him and making incoherent noises as he pushed her closer to the edge with each thrust. Gabriel was desperately clinging to the last shreds of his restraint, wanting her to come first but knowing he couldn't last much longer.

'Fuck, Kat, so good,' he groaned into her neck, kissing along her collarbone. She reached between them to touch herself and the combined sensations sent her over the edge. Her orgasm pulled him with her, ripping through the last of his control as her muscles clenched around him. He rode them through the shockwaves then collapsed, just about managing to hold himself on his elbow to keep from squashing her under him. Katrina pushed her sweaty hair out of her eyes and grinned at him.

'Worth the wait?'

'Hell yes,' he replied, kissing her. 'Though I think I'll be kicking myself for a while that we didn't start doing this way earlier.'

'It wouldn't have been right earlier. It is now,' she replied, knowing as she said it that it was the truth.

'Ok, I'll believe you Doc, but only because I trust you.' He paused. 'I've just proved your point, haven't I?' She grinned.

'Very nicely, thank you.' They adjusted themselves in the bed, rolling onto their sides so they were facing each other. 'If you need some rest, I'd recommend you get it now,' Kat advised him. Gabriel's brow furrowed.

'Why?' Katrina grinned wickedly.

'Because I'm going to be up for round two pretty soon and believe me, this time it's going to take a lot longer.'


End file.
